1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to insect bait stations. More particularly, the present invention relates to an insect bait station for containing a toxic bait, or alternative types of bait, for attracting ants and other insects and preventing their drowning to enable them to return to their nests so other insects can be subjected to the toxic bait.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists in the art many devices that supply toxic bait for means of controlling insects. Many of these devices utilize a solid bait contained in a reservoir. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,836 (Woodruff et al.) discloses an insect bait station having a base portion, and further having outer and inner walls with openings therethrough to allow insect passage. All of these features are formed as a unitary piece of a flat, deformable sheet of plastic or other material. A cover is provided to enclose all of these features, while maintaining all portions of the cover elevated above wall apertures to facilitate unobstructed insect passage. The bait is a solid or paste, shaped into the form of a wafer, and affixed to the floor of the inner compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,021 (Green) describes a fire ant station having a body portion which includes a reservoir defined by an enclosed wall and a floor and having an open-ended internally directed collar defined in the floor. A probe is received within the collar in a locked, frictional engagement therewith, and is adapted to be inserted into a fire ant mound. The probe includes a tubular shaft with multiple perforations and an internal longitudinal channel formed therein and a pointed tip. The perforations provide to ants access to the reservoir and thus to the bait therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,761 (Demarest et al.) describes a bait station for crawling insects and a method for presenting bait to targeted insects. The bait station includes a base and a cover fastened to the base. The base includes a bait cup with a bait cup wall. The method of the invention includes providing such a bait station, containing a selected bait on a surface where targeted insects crawl.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,969 (Demarest) discloses an insect bait station which can be manufactured and packaged in blister pack arrays, each station having an apertured, multi-lobed cover which is fitted over a base having a central bait well. The central bait well is formed by a ramped structure and inner walls. The inner walls intersect the ramped structure, which serves as a guide to direct an insect toward the bait.
There are also bait stations for crawling insects utilizing a liquid bait and toxicant. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,922 (Wefler) describes an insect liquid bait station that includes a base having a floor and peripheral dike that together define a reservoir for a slow-kill liquid insecticide. A porous pad sits in the pooled liquid on the floor of the reservoir. A cover is mounted in liquid tight relation on the base. The cover has an inclined ramp leading down to a central stage area with access portals through which the target insects can enter and feed on the poisonous liquid on the porous pad. The tight mounting of the cover to the base and the use of a porous pad immediately beneath the access ports resist spillage of the liquid bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,586 (Ballard et al.) provides a method and apparatus that dispenses a liquid to a liquid bait station in a refillable manner. The invention provides a transparent bait station that is mounted to a structure. A liquid bait is injected into the bait station to initially fill the bait station. The bait station is a refillable bait station and the bait is a slow acting toxicant and attractant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,229 (Demarest et al.) describes a liquid bait station for roaches. The bait station has a base structure that includes a central well area within an absorbent pad and a plurality of insect access openings in sidewalls surrounding the well area. The bait station also has a funnel-like reservoir seated in the base structure and tapering to a narrow opening at its bottom for controllably releasing liquid bait onto the absorbent pad in the central well area. The larger upper end of the funnel-like reservoir has a cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,863 (Payton et al.) describes a liquid bait station for ants with separate nested inner and outer container sections with the container forming a liquid bait reservoir. The inner container section or reservoir has a lid that is closed whenever the outer container is closed, and access to the reservoir of liquid bait by the ants is indirect via one or more container access ports leading to a compartment inside the outer container and then via separate reservoir access ports leading from the compartment to the reservoir.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,573,278 (Schlesinger) includes a central well for holding a liquid insect poison and a hollow, cylindrical wick that lines and extends upwardly from the sides of the well to a cover. Liquid can soak through the wick to wet a fringe that surrounds the wick and is exposed to feeding ants. The wick is closed by the cover, which also extends over the rest of the bait station. The wick, together with the cover, is intended to prevent spillage of the liquid poison, should the device be turned on its side. The cover, together with the base, provides an enclosed feeding chamber surrounding the well and its cylindrical wick.
The present invention is an insect bait station, especially for ants for containing and holding a fast or slow acting bait, particularly for attracting ants and other insects. The bait station, in its preferred form, and when used with liquid or gel bait utilizes a floating feeding pad to prevent insects from drowning in the liquid bait as the insects feed. There are many reasons why it may be desirable to attract insects with such a bait station. For example, one may want to attract insects to study insect populations, insect migration patterns, use in research, or to exterminate them. Although the bait station may be used to attract many types of insects, it may also be used to attract and exterminate insects when the bait is used in combination with an insect toxicant or poison. The bait station may also be used to attract insects for extermination purposes where an external poison or extermination method is used.
For example, a sugar and water solution may be used as bait inside the station to attract the insects. A well-known non-toxic insecticide such as silicon dioxide or diatomaceous earth may be dusted outside the so insects can crawl over it when traveling to the bait station. The silicon dioxide powder or dust clings to the underside of the insect and cuts into it, eventually causing death.
The bait station, in its preferred form, is composed of a lid and a base portion defining an interior chamber. The bait is poured into the interior chamber by opening a filler cap mounted on the lid. A channel formed in the base allows the insects access to the interior chamber. A ramp extends from beneath the base through the channel and into the interior chamber. The ramp allows the insects access to the interior chamber up through the channel. The housing of the channel is a truncated pyramid shape wherein the interior sidewalls taper outwardly as the sidewalls descend to the floor of the base. A floating feeding pad is secured to the upper surface of the housing by a securing means such as a gasket and/or a plurality of apertures preformed in the pad which are placed over posts protruding from the upper surface of the housing. A section of the feeding pad, known as a leaf, extends outwardly from a central portion of the pad that is fitted on the upper surface of the housing. One leaf from the pad extends from each side of the perimeter of the housing into the liquid bait in the interior chamber. The pad is made of a material that floats and can be absorbent or non-absorbent. Insects having gained access into the bait station may crawl onto the floating pad and consume bait without falling into the bait and becoming trapped or drowning. The floating feeding pad continuously provides a surface that the insect can cling to while consuming the toxic bait, without falling into the liquid and drowning. The pad further allows the insects to access the liquid bait for consumption, even as the level of the liquid bait within the interior chamber decreases. The leaves of the floating pad rise and fall as the level of the liquid bait rises and falls.
In its preferred embodiment, the bait station also employs an insert tray for the holding and dispensing of the bait. Each leaf of the feeding pad extends into the tray to allow the insects to access the bait. The tray is sectioned so that a plurality of types of bait may be employed. The insert tray is removable so that it can be cleaned or replaced. It is appreciated that the bait station can be employed without the insert tray when only a single type of bait is being used. In this embodiment, bait is placed directly into the bait station base.
The sidewalls of the base may be translucent so that the amount of bait in the interior chamber can be seen. Alternatively, a dipstick may be employed to ascertain the amount of bait remaining in the bait station. An additional channel is formed in the forwarded sidewall of the channel housing for receiving therethrough a security stake for securing the bait station to the ground. Alternatively, for surfaces where the security stake may not be suitable for use, a plurality of projections are provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall for attaching the station to dry, hard surfaces. Double-sided tape can optionally be provided on the free end of each of the projections for securing the bait station to the surface. All that is required to attach the station to a surface is to remove the backing from the tape and press the station firmly on the surface. Examples of places where the station may be placed with the double-sided tape include indoors, as well as outdoors in places such as garages, patio or porch floors, sheds, and walkways, especially near doors.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved bait station for insects.
It is another object to provide a bait station for insects having an interior chamber for holding the bait.
Another object is to provide an insect bait station where a liquid bait can be employed in a less hazardous manner in areas where children and pets may have access to the station.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an insect bait station employing a bait that can easily be refilled after the bait in the interior chamber has been consumed by the insects.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking, tamper-resistant filler cap that can be opened to add additional bait to the bait station.
It is still a further object an insect bait station with a base and cover which are selected to prevent children and pets from opening a bait chamber therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a spill-proof shield around the fill opening to prevent the spilling of bait when the station is being refilled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for securing the station to a surface to keep the station in place, and especially to prevent children and pets from picking the station up and possibly being exposed to the bait.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for the insects to access the bait in the interior chamber and a means for exiting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bait station for holding a bait toxicant for insect consumption whereby the insect carries the bait back to the insect colony or nest for further dispersion among other insects, and in the case of ants, to the particular colony queen ant and young to exterminate the insects and control the ant population.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a liquid toxic bait insect station where insects are prevented from drowning so that they carry toxic bait back to their nests for other insects to consume.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a floating feeding pad made from a material that floats at or below the level of bait.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a floating feeding pad so insects can access the liquid bait without becoming trapped.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-sectional, reusable insert tray for holding and dispensing the toxic bait.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are achieved by a bait station having an interior chamber for containing and holding a bait for attracting insects. The bait can be any special or generic formulation that attracts the insects. The bait station has an apparatus whereby the insects can enter the interior chamber to access the bait. The bait is refillable after consumption by the insects by a refill device located in the lid of the station. A specially formed feeding pad that floats in the liquid bait provides a support for insects to access the liquid bait without drowning. As an added safety feature for the concern of children and animals, the lid of the station is removable coupled via a screw, preferably a xe2x80x9chexxe2x80x9d type screw, to the base of the station to prevent small children and animals from opening the station and gaining access to the toxic bait. A security stake is provided for anchoring the station to the ground.